ATTORNEY FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRES

Lithium-ion batteries bring improved performance over standard alkaline batteries, but they also come with risks. Lithium-ion batteries are known to be fire hazards. The ability to recharge Lithium-Ion batteries make them attractive for multiple home and work use including the following applications:

Electric vehicles, electric bikes, laptop computers, cell phones, home electrical storage tied to solar panels, rechargeable power tools, drones, and even down to vape pens.

The problems with Lithium-Ion batteries arise when they are damaged or over-used, or over-charged, they can cause fires. This sometimes occurs when the Lithium-Ion battery is damaged or corrupted interiorly.  BatteryPowerOnline.com describes it as:

[T]hermal runaway occurs when a cell, or area within the cell, achieves elevated temperatures due to thermal failure, mechanical failure, internal/external short circuiting, and electrochemical abuse. At elevated temperatures, exothermic decomposition of the cell materials begins. Eventually, the self-heating rate of the cell is greater than the rate at which heat can be dissipated to the surroundings, the cell temperature rises exponentially, and stability is ultimately lost. The loss in stability results in all remaining thermal and electrochemical energy being released to the surroundings.

These fires are recognized to be extremely intense, self-sustaining, and very difficult to extinguish by fire fighters. Anecdotally the attorneys at www.FightingForFamilies.com have conferenced with firefighters and first responders about the difficulties of extinguishing Lithium-Ion batteries. For electrical vehicle fires the technique is to segregate the vehicle and let it burn itself out because standard fire-fighting methods alone do not typically suppress these fires.

On the open road when an electric vehicle catches fire from thermal runaway of the battery packs there may be space to segregate the vehicle and allow the batteries to burn out, but where the vehicle is in a garage it is a different story. The same is true for electric bikes, hoverboards, electric scooters and other e-rideables which are typically charged in close proximity to the user. That is, in the garage, in an apartment, at work, or places of business (think mobility scooters).  Public officials are warning owners of electric rideables to do two things: 1. Do not leave your e-bike or e-rideable on charge overnight; and 2. Do not place the e-chargeable between you and the means of exit from the premises. (i.e., not near the apartment or residence front door.)

Jimmy Patronis is Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and that also makes him the Florida’s Chief Fire Marshal. He recently noted that during or after Hurricane Ian 20 electric vehicles caught fire due to saltwater intrusion compromising the battery packs. Florida is working on a bill to set standards for storing and charging Lithium-Ion batteries. Patronis also noted that there are not yet sufficient standards to govern products coming into the U.S. to assure their safety. Joanne Rice, the director of the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office also stated that these fires are hotter and faster than any fire they have seen, and they do not have the tools to fight them at present.

If the laws are not yet written to prevent the introduction of unsafe products what can a person who has suffered damages or injuries do to recover for their injuries and losses?

ATTORNEYS FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY DAMAGE

How do I proceed if a Lithium-Ion battery has caused damage or injuries? The first thing is to get to a law firm that even knows what you are talking about, and that is www.FightingForFamilies.com. The sudden popularity of e-bikes and other equipment that use Lithium-Ion batteries has proliferated suddenly and the laws regulating Lithium-Ion batteries are only now trying to catch up with this serious health threat. You still have the ability to pursue the seller and manufacturer of the defective Lithium-Ion battery. The courts still provide a remedy to you to pursue the seller who sold the defective product—and that is an important right. In Florida, for instance, a seller of defective equipment can be held responsible for damage and injury caused by the defective product they sell.

It is of utmost importance that you pursue your case immediately, without delay.  Product liability cases arising from Lithium-Ion battery fires or explosions are won or lost on evidence that must be preserved from the date of the incident. It is not sufficient that a fire did occur, you must prove that the product was defective and caused the damages and injuries complained of. That is why it is important to pursue your case immediately. Valuable evidence can be lost quickly.

At www.FightingForFamilies.com we are not a high-volume law firm. We do not want to be a large law firm. For 25 years our goal is to get the best result for each client. If you have any questions or wish to talk more about your case, call us for a no-charge conference about your personal injury case.

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